Controller.



No. 755,744. PATBNTED MAR. 29, 1904.

F. E. CASE.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

F191. T r A F|g.2. s

WiCnesses. Inventor? U01 2 6v I Frank E.Cas.

awry.

7 UNITED STATES Patented. March 29, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,744, dated March 29, 1904. Application filed October 1, 1902. Serial No. 125,575. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. CASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My-invention relates to improvements in electric controllers, and especially to that class of controllers used upon electric-railway vehicles to control the circuits of the motors thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and effective arc-extinguishing device to disrupt and suppress the arcs formed between the segments and contact-fingers of the controller employed in connection with the motors and resistances associated therewith.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a controller constructed according to my invention, the front casing of the controller being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the controller shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig.- 1; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4'4, Fig. 2, to show, more clearly the path followed by the magnetic flux produced in the core of the blow-out coil.

Referring now to the drawings, 'C represents a controller-casing, the back C of which is made of magnetic material. The cover or door of the casing is represented by C and the cap-plate by T. Within the casing C is mounted on the shaft S, in a manner. to be hereinafter described, the controller drum or cylinder D, which carries the projecting contact-segments F. These segments are adapted to engage with the relatively fixed contactfingers f, located on opposite sides of the controller drum or cylinder and mounted on the insulating-blocks H in a manner well known in controller construction. The leads which are connected electrically with these fingers are soldered, brazed, or otherwise connected to the terminals f The controller cylinder or drum is rotated by means of a handle (not shown) adapted to be attached to the end of the shaft S, which projects through the capplate T of the casing A. The notched ring or sector 0 is adapted to hold the controller-handle in its various operative positions in the customary manner. Also mounted within the casing'C is a reversing-switch R, comprising the rotatable member h, carrying the contactplates and the relatively fixed contact-fingers g, which are adapted to engage with the contact-plates 2, as the member h is rotated. The

contact-fingers are mounted on the insulatingblocks g. The rotatable member h is operated by means of a handle adapted to be attached to the upper end of the vertical shaft S, which extends through the cap-plate of the casing. The said shaft S carries at its lower end a crank 41, which is connected to the countershaft S by means of a link mechanism, (not shown,) and the said counter-shaft is operatively connected to the rotatable member h of the reverse-switch. The leads of the relatively fixed contact-fingers g of the reversingswitch are electrically connected to said fingers at the terminals 9 v Mounted on the pivots e on either side of the main controller cylinder or drum D are the arms E, which are made of magnetic material and carry at their outer ends a series of insulating-pieces p, which are adapted to project between the outwardly projecting contact-segments F on the controller-drum. These insulating-pieces are recessed and are adapted to embrace the contact-fingers f in such a manner as to form arc-deflectors which guide the are which forms between the contact-fingers and the segments on the drum as said are is disrupted by the action of the magnetic flux, in the path of which the contactfingers are located. The manner in which said magnetic flux is produced and the path followed by the same will be hereinafter demaintained constant by means of the vertical strip E, which is fastened to the tips of said insulating-pieces.

The controller cylinder or drum D is built up in the following manner: Rigidly mounted on the shaft S are collars (Z which are formed with radially-projecting fingers d, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and t. Concentrically arranged with respect to said collars (Z and held in place thereon by means of the in sulating material (Z are collars or rings d, having inwardly and radially projecting fingers (1, which when the collars d and (Z are assembled to form a single disk alternate with the outwardly and radially projecting fingers (Z. The inner ends of the fingers (Z of the ring or collar (Z project within the circle cir cumscribed about the shaft S through the outer tips of the radially-projecting fingers d The cylindrical part (Z of the drum 1), on which the contact-segrnentsF are mounted, is bolted to the collars cl in such a manner as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Such a construction as hereinbefore described prevents the shearing which would be liable to take place between the cylinder (Z and the collars (5! due to the inertia of the heavy moving parts on the drum. A cylinder, of insulating material, placed between the shaft S and the cylinder (Z could not possibly prevent this relative movement or shearing action between the said drum and the collars (Z Since it is absolutely necessary to insulate the shaft S from the cylindrical part of the drum which carries the contact-segments, it can readily be seen that for the large controllers in which the present invention is adapted to be used such a construction as above described is quite necessary.

Between the controller-cylinder and the reversing-switch is an interlocking device, which operates to prevent the reversing-switch from being moved while the controller-cylinder is in any position other than its off position. A notched sector (represented by z) is carried by the main shaft S, and mechanism (not shown) operatively connected with the reversingswitch is adapted to coact therewith. The controller cylinder or drum D is made up in separate sections insulated from each other, which is a construction well known in the art. I and I represent insulating disks located within the casing at the'ends of the controllershaft S.

The projection G which is made of mag netic material and is formed integral with the back C of the controller, constitutes the core of an electromagnet which furnishes the required flux for the magnetic blow-out. The coil A is wound on the core C, as shown in the figures of the drawings, and is adapted to be connected in the circuit in which the controller is located. This coil A constitutes the means whereby the core is magnetized. The projection C lies adjacent to the cylinder or drum D and has formed on its outer face li'lgs j, which are adapted to project between the contact-segments F of the controller-cylinder and extend very close to the cylindrical surface. As the cylinder 1) is made of magnetic material and forms part of the path followed by the magnetic flux produced in the core C, the most important function of the projections or lugs 7" is to reduce the air-gap be tween the core 0 and the cylinder 1). The path of the magnetic flux emanating from the core C is indicated in Fig. i by the dotted lines m and may be traced as follows: from core C, through the cylindrical part (Z of the cylinder or drum D, across the gap in which the contact-fingers f are located, through the pivoted arms E and the back of the controller-casing U to the core C A strong magnetic blow-out field is thereby produced at the points of contact of a plurality of rows of contact-fingers with the contact-segments of: the controller-cylinder by means of a single magnetizing-coil. In order to prevent the possibility of short-circuit due to contact between the drum 1) or the segments thereon and the core C or its lugs f, I have provided an insulating-covering B for said core and lugs.

I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention; but I do not wish to be limited to the specific device shown, as many modifications and changes in the relative location of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a controller, a drum or cylinder haV- ing a plurality of projecting contact-segmcnts on its periphery, Single magnetmore contiguous to said drum having a plurality of projections or lugs which extend between and are adapted to embrace said segments, a single coil for magnetizing said core, and contact-fingers adapted to engage said segments in the path of the fluxes produced in said core y said magnetizing-coil.

2. In a controller, a drum of magnetic 111th terial provided with a plurality of projecting contact-segments, a magnetic core arranged adjacent to said drum and provided with a plurality of lugs projecting between said contact-segments into proximity with said drum, a coil for magnetizing said core to produce a magnetic flux which passes through said drum, and a row of contact-fingers located in the path of the magnetic flux produced by said core and adapted to engage said contact-segments 3. In a controller, a drum of magnetic ma terial, a magnet-core arranged adjacent to said drum, asingle coil for magnetizing said core to produce a magnetic flux which passes through said drum, and a plurality of rows of contactfingers adapted to engage with the contacts on said drum, said fingers being arranged in the path of the magnetic flux produced in said core.

4. In a controller, a rotatable drum or cylinder of magnetic material, a fixed magnetcore arranged adjacent to said drum, means for magnetizing said core, and a row of contact-fingers arranged on each side of said core in the path of the magnetic flux produced in said core, said fingers being adapted to engage with the contact-segments on the periphery of said drum.

5. In a controller, a drum having projecting segments on its periphery, a magnetic core havingprojecting lugs arranged adjacent to said drum, the said lugs lying between the projecting segments of said drum or cylinder, means for magnetizing said core, and a row of contact-fingers arranged on each side of said core in the path of the magnetic flux produced in said core, said fingers being adapted to engage with the contact-segments on the periphery of said drum.

6. In a controller, adrum having projecting segments on its periphery, a magnetic core having projecting lugs arranged adjacent to said drum, the said lugs lying between the projecting segments of said drum or cylinder, means for magnetizing said core, a row of contact-fingers arranged on each side of said core in the path of the magnetic flux produced in said core, said fingers being adapted to engage with the contact-segments of the periphery of said drum, and an insulatingcovering for said core and projecting lugs.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of September, 1902.

FRANK E. CASE. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

